A Texas man allegedly punched his defense attorney after he was hit with a 50-year sentence for murder.
Jaquarius Lewis, 27, is accused of slugging his attorney, John Petruzzi, in the face on March 28 in a Harris County courtroom.
Lewis was on trial for a fatal 2024 shooting to which he pleaded guilty. Facing a possible five to 50 years, chaos erupted in the courtroom after he learned his fate.
'At that point apparently, I was out. My client hit me in the face,' Petruzzi told Fox26.
'People in the courtroom said I fell back in the chair, hit a counter and apparently fell to the ground,' the attorney added.
Petruzzi told the outlet he didn’t realize the severity of the incident until he awoke to EMS and first responders surrounding him.
Someone in the courtroom later told him about the alleged attack, and the news stunned the lawyer.
'I was kind of shocked,' Petruzzi told the outlet. 'I've done this a long time, and I've never had a client hit me before.'
John Petruzzi, he was allegedly punched in the face by his client after he was sentenced to 50 years in prison
Jaquarius Lewis, 27, is accused of punching the attorney in the face on March 28 in a Harris County courtroom
Petruzzi said he has represented hundreds of murder defendants throughout his 46 years of law - but nothing of this nature has ever occurred.
The defense attorney did not sustain serious injuries, and Jaquarius Lewis now faces a charge of injuring an elderly person.
It’s not yet known whether that charge will add extra time to his sentence.
The 27-year-old's sentencing followed the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Quincy Johnson in Houston.
Police filed charges on Lewis after they responded to shots fired call at 7959 Sunbury Street, back in April 2024, per the police.
'Officers responded to a shooting call at the above address and found the victim unresponsive in his apartment,' the Houston Police Department said.
'Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced the man, later identified as Mr Johnson, deceased from a gunshot wound.
Police filed charges on Lewis after they responded to shots fired call at 7959 Sunbury Street, back in April 2024
'According to witnesses, Johnson was standing outside on his balcony when two male suspects walked by and shot him,' they added.
After further investigation and evidence from the scene, Houston police released surveillance photos of both suspects.
Acting on a tip, officers arrested Lewis the day after, identifying him as the shooter.
The second male identified in the surveillance photos was questioned and released without charges, per the police.